What a Week!

Well Hello Everyone!,

SO this week has been busy, We found lots of new people! Lots of more work and lots of little miracles :) This Sunday was also my performance at the visitor center with about 20 other missionaries. It turned out great, not at ton of people came to the second showing, but it was still great, there were lots of good things that were said, some of the songs were just super great, There was one by sally deford, called Because of him, it was a duet and it turned out great, then there was another that was called "I did not see, yet i believe," the Elder who sang that one was super great! he sang so great, and then there was another, that we all sang, which is come unto Christ, it was the youth theme song last year, it was our last song we sang together and it really turned out great, that was the main theme was Coming unto Christ in our lives! So yeah :) But now i have all my P-day time back, no more 3 hours cut out plus travel time in LA Traffic, it cut more than half of our time out!

This week we found 9 new people to teach, 2 of them cant read, have no true knowledge of anything except of the traditions of their family, then 1 is a 17 year old girl who is super cool and really wants to come closer to God, We found this old guy named *** who is convinced that Catholic is 100 % truth, and then We found this family of 5, 2 teenagers a mom, and 3 little kids. she was super fun to teach, because  she connected the dots herslf of the Restoration, and she had already heard the story of the Mayan history and how they have in their hieroglyphics, a story of someone coming and visiting them in white and coming from the heavens (ie Jesus Christ in Americas) and how  He appeared unto them, why wouldn't he appear unto Joseph smith! so It was great lesson. Oh and a family in our ward got sealed so that was fun! The *** family, they've been members for about 2 years and they finally got sealed. we went to the little celebration  on Saturday night and got dinner, but i think they forgot to plan who was going to serve the food, so when we were sitting down they grabbed us 7 missionaries and told us to help them serve everyone food, so we ended up giving like an hour of service then ate, then went back to our area, but then on our way back to the area, I ran over a nail, and it was in the middle of the intersection so i quickly just rode and then jumped off the bike, but it was too late, because i rode it flat, i got 5 other holes in the bike, so we just went back to the apartment, because i took the time to patch them all, it would have been too long and had to return home anyways. So i've been bike less since Saturday, today im using another bike that was in the garage, and then im going to go and buy new tires because mine are almost all worn out, my back one has like 3 chunks out of it and any little piece of glass or small throne pierces it and then i have to fix the flat. so that's that.

Thanks for all that you do for me! Thanks for your Prayers and love! I feel that Power every day. Sometime you think wow just a little prayer cant really make a difference, but I have completely change that thought being here in the mission. With Prayer comes the spirit. This week as we were walking around, 2 appointments feel through and so as were trying to heading to a former investigators house, I had the feeling to stop by and visit *** a young adult who had basically grown up in the church, So as we were walking by we stopped at the house and found her mom and her mom just starts talking to us and she told us she is a member, so we asked her why she doesn't come to church? She says she works and so we had a long conversation about how its so important to help her kids grow up in the gospel, so we hopefully have some success this week with her and find her in her house. But just little miracles or times when the spirit guides us is when i know that this truly is gods work, if we are doing exactly what we need to be doing and being diligent, then he will guide and put people in our path or put us in their path and let them find the truth!

I love you all!

Elder Hollingshead

ps. if you check out the visitor centers Facebook page, and maybe the mission blog, you might find pictures of the music event!

Zone Conference

 

April 20, 2015

 

Well This week has been... well.... its over. And yeah that's about it. we had the potential of getting many new investigators, but people just don't know how to keep appointments... its really frustrating. But I had a good change yesterday. That's why i love Sundays. Go to church, take the sacrament, pray and then move on. if anything ive learned in the mission is that the Lord is willing to forgive, if we recognize what we need to do different. So we repent. and move on. So thats what i know as a fact and this week there are lots of little things that i want to change about my thoughts and my actions. and mostly not letting my actions and desires change because of what others to do us or with their lives. Change comes with time, but if we never start we will look back to many empty yesterdays.

We did have zone conference this week, and we had a good hour long conversation about motives. Love vs. Duty.... many times both of these missionaries have similar results in an outward aspect, but the inward change and desire is completely different and we talk alot on how our motive to share the gospel changes others around us. If we get 20 conversations just to get 20 conversations, do you think everyone of those people are going to sense your true desire to help them out. But If you get 20 conversations because you truly want to help people out, they are going to feel it and in return actually grow in the gospel in one way or another. If you commit someone to come to church and promise them so many blessings that if they come to church "x" thing will happen in their lives, but we moan and groan about all the meetings we go to how are we supposed to help others see the blessings. Just little though/ desire processes can really change what happens in myself and our area. That was the biggest impact that was taken from zone conference. I love this mission! its been a blast ;) so many good memories. something that has really made me happy is seeing the change that has happened in the Hernandez family. Being back in the same ward is fun to see how people change over time. The Whole family comes to church every week. Ivan the Dad has the Melqusidec priesthood, The sons pass the sacrament every week! they share their testimonies in the class and it just brings Joy to me to see, how it really has changed me and because its changed me i see it change others! I love it all the time.

At zone conference i had the opportunity to play the EFY  medly as the missionaries sang along. But just Before that we watch the conference talk from Elder Holland, from oct 2012 about "the first and great Commandment" And in that talk it talks about exactly that love that we need to follow the savior! I felt the spirit so Much! I love That, I Know that God Cares for each and everyone of us!

I Love you All! hope you have a great week!

Love

Elder Hollingshead